The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same group for the 2027 RWC, promising a major pool stage encounter in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by Tonga and Zimbabwe.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at Twickenham contributed to the English team's surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool together, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents unable to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in the last World Cup, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of these two groups are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked South Africa until the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
If the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, further top favourites like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would remain separated from the likes of the English and Ireland all the way to the final.
Under those circumstances, Argentina would be the remaining top-ranked nation on that side of the elimination bracket as England and Ireland.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Tournament hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with Japan, future hosts the United States and Manu Samoa.
Larger Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament grows to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
This edition will introduce a round of 16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
RWC 2027 Groups
Pool A
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Chile
- Hong Kong
Pool B
- South Africa
- Italy
- Georgia
- Romania
Pool C
- Argentina
- Fiji
- Spain
- Canada
Pool D
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Uruguay
- Portugal
Pool E
- France
- Japan
- USA
- Samoa
Pool F
- England
- Wales
- Tonga
- Zimbabwe
